Mike McCarthy taking the year off from coaching after losing out on Jets job

After 13 years coaching the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy is taking a break.

McCarthy told ESPN that he’s decided to take 2019 off from coaching. But only one year — he said he’ll be “locked and loaded and ready to go for next year.”

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McCarthy’s an experienced coach with a track record of success (despite how things ended for him in Green Bay), and with a few teams still looking for coaches, he could still have a chance at a job if he wanted one. But his decision to take a break makes sense given what happened on Wednesday. Early in the day, a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter had McCarthy going all-in on the New York Jets.

Former Packers’ HC Mike McCarthy doesn’t want to be considered, and isn’t pursuing, any other HC vacancy other than the New York Jets’, per source.

After being fired following 13 years coaching the Packers, Mike McCarthy is taking a year off. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

McCarthy only wanted to coach the Jets, which he later confirmed to ESPN. Then on Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that the Jets were set to hire former Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase as their new head coach. McCarthy’s first and only choice was no longer an option.

But it seems like McCarthy and his family are fine with it. More than fine, actually. He told ESPN that his kids (he has five with his wife, Jessica, a Green Bay native) actually cheered when they found out Gase was getting the job.

“We looked at everything, and it was either New York or stay out. That was our outlook,” McCarthy said. “My family’s excited. We were eating dinner when I got the message [about the Jets], and they all started cheering. So it was kind of funny. I think it tells you where they’re at.”

You can’t blame his kids for being happy that their dad gets to stay home during football season.